Aid to standing and walking



y 1940- 1 w. PAUL 2,208,195

AID T0 STANDING AND WALKING Filed Feb. 27, 1940 Patented July 16, 1940UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCE 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improvement in the art of crutchesin which braces or struts are used to help retain the user in a verticalposition while standing or moving for- 5 ward, and the object of theimprovement is, first, to provide an aid that not only can be used insick rooms, hospitals, or home, but will take the user out of thebuilding and upon surfaces of uneveness, not only through theconvalescent period, but in addition, to those who have an ailment thatmay be of long duration, the aids are for their permanent use. Thus theaids not only serve through the first trying period of convalescence butcarry on through the balance of the life of the user. In convalescenceit is an aid to get out of bed and secondly to move about the roomunassisted, and as the patient grows stronger, to aid them to walkoutside of building upon the uneven surface of highways and this withoutthe aid of others. One of the main features of the aids is its formationwhereby the center of gravity and load are upon a perpendicularly downthrust and the load is not placed on a curved strut but the diagonallydown- 5 ward braces are in such form that the aid may be setsufiiciently beneath the bed, or close to any form of chair, as to allowthe patient to rise perpendicularly upward and rest upon the aids.

The aids, being constructed of seasoned split maple and rounded oak, arelight of weight, much more so than if of metal construction and has alsothe tendency to reflex action that under stress of load bend and returnto their normal position as the load lightens, not remaining in a 35bent position.

The foregoing and other features of advantage over the known form ofcrutch will be shown as the description proceeds.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is a view of the side and front of the aid, as seen by oneapproaching as if to use said aid;

Fig. 2 is a view of the hinged head of upright crutch and diagonallydownward brace of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a closer view of the method of bracing and the coil springthat aids in the flexibility of Fig. 1 as a unit.

The device to be known as an aid, generally denoted by Fig. l, is usedeither single or in pairs, like crutches and comprise a four point footportion consisting of the base or foot of the upright crutch, the baseor foot of the diagonally downward brace and the two bases or feet ofthe inverted V braces 1, l, i, I and all made of wood, maple and oak,for lightness and strength and making a four point contact with thesurface instead of a one piece construction at the base. The diagonallydownward brace foot 3 at i and the two inverted V brace feet :3, i at i,l, are thirty inches apart at l, l, I which forms a 5 triangle bracethat joins to the upright crutch l at 2 by a hinge. See Fig. 2 Thisgives to the upright crutch i, l a complete brace in three directions;to the side, fore and aft of the user of the aid. To hold the completedbrace l, I, 10 I in its 30 triangle there are three strands of #9 wireof weather resisting metal connectors l I,

H, I! with turn buckles in their center l3, l3, l3. This type of braceclings to any surface as a downward-thrust-load has a tendency to clingin 15 proportion to the load and as the braces 1, i, I, I are all rubbertipped, on a wet surface prevents slipping of the whole.

The position of the head of the inverted V brace has two uses, first, asits head 8 rests go against the two sides of the diagonally downwardbrace 3 at 8, Fig. 3, and is held in said position by being boredthrough and a bolt 8 running through it and the sides of the brace 3 andthere tightened, forms a unit head at 8, 5 second, this described headat 3 is a few inches 1 below the handhold of the diagonally downwardbrace which allows of a flexible movement above 8 to the head i, 2, 3,in Fig. 1.

To further aid the whole appliance in its car- 30 rying of load, uponuneven surfaces, there is attached to the bolt 8 one end of a coilspring of suflicient diameter and length to bear any stress caused froma human load; the other end of said spring is set into a groove of awood connecting rod and there bolted, said connecting rod 5 extends to,and is there bolted, to the upright crutch at I2, completing theattachment. This form of brace is so constructed that if either the footof the upright crutch l, l at l orthe three feet of the braces 3 and 4,4 at 1, l, 1 rest upon an uneven surface the spring 9 and the hinge 2,Fig. 1, will give to the unevenness and not permit the load that isresting upon the upright crutch l, i to be thrown to side, forward oraft. This construction as stated above, though pliant, is sufficientlystrong to care for the maximum of both horizontally downward thrust loadand diagonally downward thrust load on either smooth or an unevensurface, wet or dry surface.

The form of the head of the diagonally'downward brace 3 at 2", Figs. 1and 2, is the same as the upright crutch l, i at its head or arm restwith the exception that it is shortened at its ends Fig. 2 at 3 toprevent its interference with the arm of the user of the "aid. Theinverted V braces are made of a 1 to 1%" diameter straight grainseasoned oak; the upright crutch I, I and the diagonally downward brace3, 3 are made of straight grained seasoned maple of 1" to 1%" x 1" to1%" stock.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. An aid to standing and walking having a four point constructed baseresting evenly upon the surface in the form of a combination of anupright crutch to carry the load in a direct downward thrust; a form ofbraces attached thereto comprising a diagonally downward brace attachedto the head of the upright crutch by a hinge size 3" x3" and extendingdownward at an angle of sufiicient degree to permit of its foot to restupon the surface at not less than 30" from the foot of the uprightcrutch and braced near its center by an inverted V brace that extends tofore and aft a distance of 30" which gives to the total braces a 30"x30" x30 footing at surface.

2. An aid to standing and walking as set forth in claim 1, in whichthere are three #9 gauge wire connecting rods l3, l3, l3made of a rustresisting metal-that form a triangle for the purpose of holding theadjustment of the braces in a permanent position at the three brace endsat the surface.

3. An aid to standing and walking as set forth in claim 1, wherein thesaid diagonal brace and attached to said upright crutch that is bearingthe load upon a direct down thrust, not on a curved strut; this makingfor stable equilibrium of upright crutch at all times.

FRANCIS WAYNE PAUL.

